Great story.
Rottweilers are wonderful dogs in the right hands. The Responsible Pet Ownership people (I think it's a state government body) have a Rottweiler that they take to schools to teach kids about dogs. I saw it at the Royal Melbourne Show, you can do anything to the dog and he just sits there smiling. I was cuddling him and petting him, he was like a big baby.
Shame some of them get into the wrong hands. The dog gets the blame.
10/31/2004
10/28/2004
Guessing the age of a dog.
Maybe there's a way, but I don't know. Blue is brindle, medium to small for a greyhound, and well-behaved. We don't have any papers, so we don't know his background or anything about him.
(We will find out more from Melanie, the lady from the Greyhound Adoption Program. There is a photograph of Melanie at the Seymour kennels in this article, essential reading for anyone interested in greyhounds or animal welfare. Registration is required and easy.)
When walking, Blue stops dead if he sees people, dogs, cars - anything - approaching. He is very timid. So far I have taught him to take food - gently - from my hand (initially he was hand-shy, he would move away if a hand came near him) and to walk up and down steps. Table-surfing we are working on. Last night he stole a pat of garlic-and-parsley butter I'd set aside to go onto a piece of steak. Up he came behind me - I didn't hear him because of the sizzling steak - paws on the kitchen bench and swipe! before I could say No! He loved it.
He's a lovely boy. In the next week or two he will start to be more affectionate and less diffident. I wonder what happened to him in his earlier - racing - life.
Hmm.
(We will find out more from Melanie, the lady from the Greyhound Adoption Program. There is a photograph of Melanie at the Seymour kennels in this article, essential reading for anyone interested in greyhounds or animal welfare. Registration is required and easy.)
When walking, Blue stops dead if he sees people, dogs, cars - anything - approaching. He is very timid. So far I have taught him to take food - gently - from my hand (initially he was hand-shy, he would move away if a hand came near him) and to walk up and down steps. Table-surfing we are working on. Last night he stole a pat of garlic-and-parsley butter I'd set aside to go onto a piece of steak. Up he came behind me - I didn't hear him because of the sizzling steak - paws on the kitchen bench and swipe! before I could say No! He loved it.
He's a lovely boy. In the next week or two he will start to be more affectionate and less diffident. I wonder what happened to him in his earlier - racing - life.
Hmm.
10/24/2004
Blue.
On the way back from northern Victoria, called into the Greyhound Adoption Program's kennels at Seymour to pick up a new foster dog - Blue, a brindle boy with a bluish sheen to his coat.
We were greeted by assorted dogs running about - the kennel doubles as accommodation for any dogs (Goldie had stayed overnight) - and over by the main kennel was a small run with two greyhound pups, totally adorable black and white females. One had already been taken but the last one was still available. She was hard to resist, all legs like a baby foal.
The Greyhound Adoption lady told us that Eric's new owner had been in contact and Eric was doing fine.)
Then Blue came out, we packed him into the car and set off home. It is his first foster home and he couldn't get up the steps, shied at the shiny tiles in the laundry and then spent the next twenty minutes walking around the house sniffing every corner.
He was very hungry - despite his huge meal - and we had to use the water-bottle squirt technique to dissuade him from table-surfing. He got up to the kitchen sink at one stage and starting slurping the water, it wasn't too sudsy fortunately. Squirt, squirt. He's a quick learner.
He was very good overnight, settling onto the mattress we allocated to him and only getting up a few times. Perfectly house-trained, of course - despite never having lived in a house - greyhounds are extremely clean dogs and will not soil their surroundings.
Next morning, we fed them and left them outside to amuse themselves. Blue started barking at the fence so I stood at the bathroom window and aimed a few squirts of water his way. Goldie was watching me wondering what on earth I was doing. Blue couldn't see me. I felt like a sniper.
Soon he settled down and they both went and snoozed on the lawn, listening to the birds chirping in the early morning sunshine.
We were greeted by assorted dogs running about - the kennel doubles as accommodation for any dogs (Goldie had stayed overnight) - and over by the main kennel was a small run with two greyhound pups, totally adorable black and white females. One had already been taken but the last one was still available. She was hard to resist, all legs like a baby foal.
The Greyhound Adoption lady told us that Eric's new owner had been in contact and Eric was doing fine.)
Then Blue came out, we packed him into the car and set off home. It is his first foster home and he couldn't get up the steps, shied at the shiny tiles in the laundry and then spent the next twenty minutes walking around the house sniffing every corner.
He was very hungry - despite his huge meal - and we had to use the water-bottle squirt technique to dissuade him from table-surfing. He got up to the kitchen sink at one stage and starting slurping the water, it wasn't too sudsy fortunately. Squirt, squirt. He's a quick learner.
He was very good overnight, settling onto the mattress we allocated to him and only getting up a few times. Perfectly house-trained, of course - despite never having lived in a house - greyhounds are extremely clean dogs and will not soil their surroundings.
Next morning, we fed them and left them outside to amuse themselves. Blue started barking at the fence so I stood at the bathroom window and aimed a few squirts of water his way. Goldie was watching me wondering what on earth I was doing. Blue couldn't see me. I felt like a sniper.
Soon he settled down and they both went and snoozed on the lawn, listening to the birds chirping in the early morning sunshine.
10/13/2004
Running notes.
Haven't posted anything about running lately.
We ran the 21.1 kilometre half-marathon and I posted about it but Blogger lost it. And then I lost it.
Anyway, the half marathon was a little over four weeks ago. T., a little over six months into her running career and having never run more than about 14 kilometres, completed the half in just over two hours.
Since then, we've had a few training sessions with the group, I strained a hamstring and took a week or two off but now I'm running again.
Last night we had a time trial of 1000 metres, 600 metres and 200 metres on the university track. It was the first hot night for the season.
After the 1000, I've never heard so much coughing. The heat, the pollen and the nature of the 1000 metres really got to everyone. When you run that kind of distance it really hits your lungs. New runners think they're having an asthma attack or their lungs are about to explode or something, but it's simply the demand for oxygen for a period of time when you are working extremely hard. A longer, slower run or even a shorter one doesn't have the same effect because the oxygen uptake isn't the same. There was a ten minute rest in between each trial and afterwards we went for a twenty minute warmdown jog. Added to the stretching and warm-up at the start, the whole session took almost ninety minutes.
We ran the 21.1 kilometre half-marathon and I posted about it but Blogger lost it. And then I lost it.
Anyway, the half marathon was a little over four weeks ago. T., a little over six months into her running career and having never run more than about 14 kilometres, completed the half in just over two hours.
Since then, we've had a few training sessions with the group, I strained a hamstring and took a week or two off but now I'm running again.
Last night we had a time trial of 1000 metres, 600 metres and 200 metres on the university track. It was the first hot night for the season.
After the 1000, I've never heard so much coughing. The heat, the pollen and the nature of the 1000 metres really got to everyone. When you run that kind of distance it really hits your lungs. New runners think they're having an asthma attack or their lungs are about to explode or something, but it's simply the demand for oxygen for a period of time when you are working extremely hard. A longer, slower run or even a shorter one doesn't have the same effect because the oxygen uptake isn't the same. There was a ten minute rest in between each trial and afterwards we went for a twenty minute warmdown jog. Added to the stretching and warm-up at the start, the whole session took almost ninety minutes.
10/12/2004
At the vet's.
Well, what a line-up.
Late afternoon sun streamed into the vet's waiting room as a bunch of scratching dogs waited patiently with their owners.
It's the spring itching season.
Goldie has been biting herself due to an allergy triggered by spring pollens. As have lots of other dogs.
We had seen a pair of beautiful greyhounds being taken from a van in the carpark. One had the most beautiful dark colouring around her Cleopatra-like eyes, almost like accentuated eyeliner. Just magnificent, beautiful dogs. Soon they came in with their owner and were taken through reception to a room in the back. They were hesitant, pulling back.
When we went in to see the vet, T. asked him what was wrong with the greyhounds. His expression confirmed her worst fears.
She turned pale. The vet was sympathetic - he's a greyhound specialist and sees a lot of this - but he's also pragmatic. Better that than to go to a bad home or be mistreated.
Goldie had her injection to counterract the allergy and we came away with a bunch of pills to help that and her arthritis.
The saddest thing was that Goldie, fondly recognising greyhounds, had run over to the doomed pair and they had given her a friendly lick. It was their last action in a too-short life.
Late afternoon sun streamed into the vet's waiting room as a bunch of scratching dogs waited patiently with their owners.
It's the spring itching season.
Goldie has been biting herself due to an allergy triggered by spring pollens. As have lots of other dogs.
We had seen a pair of beautiful greyhounds being taken from a van in the carpark. One had the most beautiful dark colouring around her Cleopatra-like eyes, almost like accentuated eyeliner. Just magnificent, beautiful dogs. Soon they came in with their owner and were taken through reception to a room in the back. They were hesitant, pulling back.
When we went in to see the vet, T. asked him what was wrong with the greyhounds. His expression confirmed her worst fears.
She turned pale. The vet was sympathetic - he's a greyhound specialist and sees a lot of this - but he's also pragmatic. Better that than to go to a bad home or be mistreated.
Goldie had her injection to counterract the allergy and we came away with a bunch of pills to help that and her arthritis.
The saddest thing was that Goldie, fondly recognising greyhounds, had run over to the doomed pair and they had given her a friendly lick. It was their last action in a too-short life.
10/08/2004
Goldie's appetite back to normal.
Every time we have a foster greyhound, Goldie rushes to her food and starts gobbling it down. Must be a dog competition thing.
It was worse when we had Eric, as he was the most voracious eater we have had. We couldn't fill him, the poor thing. He would eat all his food, eye off Goldie's and then look for more. He was particularly thin (the Greyhound Adoption Program lady was pleasantly surprised at how he had put on weight when she came to pick him up - we didn't really notice the gradual change) and ate absolutley everything including cheese, peanut butter sandwiches, vegemite toast, salami, lebanese bread (once he stole a whole round and filling from the benchtop!).
So Goldie had plenty of competition for her food and ate accordingly. Now that Eric has been gone for a week, she's back to being picky.
She's also scratching herself to bits, but that's another story - spring. We'll try the special shampoo, then the antihistamines if that doesn't work and then the steroid thing if that doesn't work. Off to the vet, I guess. We have the best vet, he's a greyhound specialist but will stoop to treating other dogs!
It was worse when we had Eric, as he was the most voracious eater we have had. We couldn't fill him, the poor thing. He would eat all his food, eye off Goldie's and then look for more. He was particularly thin (the Greyhound Adoption Program lady was pleasantly surprised at how he had put on weight when she came to pick him up - we didn't really notice the gradual change) and ate absolutley everything including cheese, peanut butter sandwiches, vegemite toast, salami, lebanese bread (once he stole a whole round and filling from the benchtop!).
So Goldie had plenty of competition for her food and ate accordingly. Now that Eric has been gone for a week, she's back to being picky.
She's also scratching herself to bits, but that's another story - spring. We'll try the special shampoo, then the antihistamines if that doesn't work and then the steroid thing if that doesn't work. Off to the vet, I guess. We have the best vet, he's a greyhound specialist but will stoop to treating other dogs!
10/06/2004
Arkie.
Had lunch with friends Yvie and Tim at Ray in Brunswick.
Yvie brought along Arkie, her 14-week-old wire-haired foxie. You've never seen a cuter dog. But naughty! Oh my, Arkie was bouncing around all over the place.
Goldie, 12 years old and 'over' puppies put up with her for a while and then finally gave a deep throaty growl when Arkie jumped on her back as she was reclining on the footpath (we sat outside in the sun). I put Goldie back in the car (directly across the road, in the shade) after a while, wound down the windows and poured her a drink of water in her 'travelling' bowl.
We had our lunch and Arkie, now skitting around under the table, started chewing my shoelaces.
Yvie picked her up and gave her a drink from her water glass.
Naughty puppy.
*
We were hoping to have a call from Eric's new home to see how he's going. Apparently the new owner had had a small dog killed by dogs next door and progressed to another dog which apparently bit her. The Greyhound Adoption Program lady assured us she would be a good 'owner' for Eric, and that another neighbour was a vet nurse and vouched for her suitability. Still I couldm't help wondering whether she wanted Eric, a big brindle, as protection of some kind. Greyhounds are so not like that.
Yvie brought along Arkie, her 14-week-old wire-haired foxie. You've never seen a cuter dog. But naughty! Oh my, Arkie was bouncing around all over the place.
Goldie, 12 years old and 'over' puppies put up with her for a while and then finally gave a deep throaty growl when Arkie jumped on her back as she was reclining on the footpath (we sat outside in the sun). I put Goldie back in the car (directly across the road, in the shade) after a while, wound down the windows and poured her a drink of water in her 'travelling' bowl.
We had our lunch and Arkie, now skitting around under the table, started chewing my shoelaces.
Yvie picked her up and gave her a drink from her water glass.
Naughty puppy.
*
We were hoping to have a call from Eric's new home to see how he's going. Apparently the new owner had had a small dog killed by dogs next door and progressed to another dog which apparently bit her. The Greyhound Adoption Program lady assured us she would be a good 'owner' for Eric, and that another neighbour was a vet nurse and vouched for her suitability. Still I couldm't help wondering whether she wanted Eric, a big brindle, as protection of some kind. Greyhounds are so not like that.
10/04/2004
Eric's new home.
Half-tailed Eric the greyhound went off to his new home and Goldie is lonely again.
We visited the Greyhound Adoption Program display at the Royal Melbourne Show. Several foster carers had volunteered to have their dogs on show. It was a very popular display and I hope more greyhounds will be rehoused as a result.
The children in particular loved patting the soft furry necks of these gentle, regal, misunderstood creatures.
We visited the Greyhound Adoption Program display at the Royal Melbourne Show. Several foster carers had volunteered to have their dogs on show. It was a very popular display and I hope more greyhounds will be rehoused as a result.
The children in particular loved patting the soft furry necks of these gentle, regal, misunderstood creatures.
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